Supply-tanks for gasolene or the like.



No. 681,902 Patented Sept. 3, I90!) A. u. WOLYN. SUPPLY TANKS FOBGASULENE OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Air. 6, 1901.

(No Model.)

pvt norms PETER no. FHOYOLITNQ. WASHINGTON, n. c

UNITE STATES I ATENT Erica.

AXEL II. WVOLYN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SUPPLY-TANKS FOR GASOLENE OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 681,902, dated.September 3, 1901.

Application filed April 6, 1901.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AXEL H. WOLYN, a resident of Chicago, county ofCook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Su ly-Tanks for Gasolene or the Like, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

In systems now in use gasolene, hydrocarbon oils, and the like aresupplied directly from large tanks, and when such tanks are connecteddirectly to lighting systems, ex plosive-engines, and the like adangerous quantity of the gasolene or hydrocarbon will be exposed incase of fire or accident. For this reason the insurance underwriters inmost places have required that a gasolenetank connected directly to thesupply for a lighting system or to an explosive-engine shall onlycontain a limited amount of gasolene or hydrocarbon, thus necessitatingfrequent refilling of the supply-tank.

The object of my invention is to provide a series of closed supply-tankseach adapted to contain only a certain predetermined amount of oil underpressure and provided with a valve mechanism by which only one of thetanks can be connected to the main supply at one time.

The invention consists in the features set forth in the followingdescription, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved battery ofsupply-tanks. Fig. 2 is a View in vertical section of one of the tanks.Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section of the battery of tanks.

As shown in the drawings, the tanks A are preferably cylindrical in formand permanently closed at their upper and lower ends. Any number oftanks may be used (in the drawings I have shown four) in sufficientnumber to contain a quantity of gasolene or hydrocarbons sufficient tofurnish a supply of oil for a reasonable length of time. The tanks areconnected in series, as shown by the pipes B. These pipes open into thetanks intermediate their ends and serve to divide the same intooil-retaining and air spaces at the bottom and top, respectively. One ofthe end tanks of the battery is provided with a valved inlet-pipe E,located at the same height as Serial No. 54.691- (No modell) theconnecting-pipes B, and the other end tank is provided with a valvedvent-pipe at the same height, to which is removably connected anair-pump F. Supply-pipes D pass through the tops of the several tanks Aof the battery and extend downwardly adjacent the bottom thereof. Theupper ends of these pipes are bent together and connected to the casingof a four-way valve G. The valvecasing is also connected to the mainsupplypipe, and the valve is of ordinary four-way construction, so thatany one, but only one, of the tanks may be connected to the main supplyat one time.

The oil is admitted to the tanks through the valved inlet E, fills thefirst tank, and overflows through the pipes into the remaining tanks ofthe battery in succession, the valved vent-pipe at the opposite end ofthe battery being opened to permit the tanks to be so filled. Theconnecting-pipes B thus serve as overflow-pipes and prevent the tanksfrom being filled with gasolene or hydrocarbons to a level above theheights of these pipes, so that the tanks can only each be filled with apredetermined quantity of oil. At the same time spaces are left at theupper ends of the tanks for containing the air under pressure, which issupplied there to by the air-pump F to a pressure of about twenty-fivepounds to the square inch. The inlet-pipe and vent-pipe are then closedby means of the valves provided for this purpose, and the several tanksmay be connected one at a time to the main supply until all are emptied.As the tanks are being emptied the pipes B serve to equal ize thepressure among the several tanks, so that the charge of air issufficient to force the oil from each tank of the battery in succession.It will thus be seen that the pipes B, connected to the closed tanksintermediate their ends, serve to perform three important functions,namely: First, they divide the tanks into air and oil-retaining spacesof definite capacity; second, they act as overflow-pipes as the batteryof tanks is being filled and prevent any one of the tanks from beingfilled with more than a predetermined amount of gasolene or hydrocarbonsin accordance with the requirements of the insurance underwriters, and,third, they act as equalizing pipes as the tanks are being emptied, sothat the air-pressure will act equally throughout the battery to forcethe oil out of the tanks in succession. Moreover, by measuring thediameter of the tanks and the height of the 5 pipes 13 from the bottomthereof the insurance inspector can readily ascertain the fact that thetanks cannot receive more than the permitted amount of gasolene orhydrocarbons. By the use of a four-way valve con- IO nected to each ofthe tanks it is rendered impossible to connect more than one of thetanks directly to the lighting systems, explosive-engines, or the like.Therefore by this arrangement all the requirements of the in- 15 suranceunderwriters are complied with and still the supply is furnished insufficient quantity to last a reasonable length of time.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the details of constructionwithout departure from the essentials of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- I 1. In a battery of supply-tanks for gaso- 2 5lene, hydrocarbons and the like, comprising two or more tanks, overflowand pressureequalizing pipes connecting said tanks intermediate theirends and dividing the same into oil-retaining spaces of predeterminedcapacity and air-spaces, supply-pipes leading from the bottom of each ofthe tanks and a multiple-way valve connected to said su pply-pipes andto the main supply, by which one only of the tanks may be opened to themain sup- 5 ply at a time.

- 2. In a battery of supply-tanks for gasolene, hydrocarbons and thelike, comprising two or more closed tanks, overflow andpressure-equalizingpipes connecting said tanks intermediate their endsand located at a defi- 4o nite height to divide the tanks intooil-retaining spaces of predetermined capacity and airspaces,supply-pipes leading from the bottom oteach of said tanks, amultiple-Way valve connected to said supply-pipes and to the mainsupply, by which only one of said tanks may be opened to the main supplyat a time and liquid-supply and vent pipes connected respectively to theend tanks of the battery.

3. In a battery of supply-tanks for gasolene, hydrocarbons and the like,comprising two or more closed tanks, overflow and pressure-equalizingpipes connecting said tanks intermediate their ends and located at adefi- 5 5 nite height to divide the tanks into oil-retaining spaces ofpredetermined capacity and airspaces, supply-pipes leading from the bottom of each of said tanks, a multiple-way valve connected to saidsupply-pipes and to the main supply, by which only one of said tanks maybe opened to the main supply at a time, liquid-supply and vent pipesconnected respectively to the end tanks of the battery at the-height ofsaid overflow and pressure-equalizing pipes and an air-pump movablyconnected to said vent-pipe.

AXEL H. WVOLYN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. DRIEVER, LOUIS V. LE MOYNE.

